EMPLOYER TOOLKIT

FOR COVID+ STAFF

Visit schsa.org/coronavirusLast Revised on 11.23.2020

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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I. What to do if an Employee tests positive for COVID-19?

II. Flowchart

III. Frequently Asked Questions

IV. Resources

V. Additional Documents

Home Isolation Guidance

Home Quarantine Guidance

Line List for Employers

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Employers in Stanislaus County play an important role in protecting the health of our community.

To assist your efforts with containment and mitigation of the disease we have prepared this toolkit

to provide guidance in case you have a positive case and exposure in your workforce. We greatly

appreciate the cooperation of local businesses in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in the

community.

Please Note: This guidance is not intended for use in managing or preventing outbreaks in healthcare, congregate

living settings, or other workplaces where the California Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard applies.

Stanislaus County Public Health is notified whenever someone tests positive for COVID-19 in

Stanislaus County. If an employee tests positive and went to work during their infectious period

(beginning two days before the start of symptoms or two days before a positive test result for

people who did not have symptoms), Public Health will call their place of work letting them know

one of their employees tested positive.

These Instructions Apply If:

• One or more persons from the organization have COVID-19 (they tested positive for COVID-19 or their healthcare provider diagnosed them with COVID-19); AND

• They were at work anytime during their infections period, which starts 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms and lasts until they have recovered from COVID.

If someone with confirmed COVID-19 was not at the workplace in the 48 hours preceding the onset

of symptoms or while they had symptoms, these instructions do not apply and there are no special

recommendations for quarantine or disinfection.

Symptoms

I. What to do if an Employee tests positive for COVID-19?

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Instructions:

1. Maintain confidentiality of the employee who tested positive.

a. Do Not disclose the person’s identity to anyone at the workplace, unless the person

freely gives you permission. Use only readily available information to identify who had

close contact with the case.

b. Do Not disclose the identity of the case in your effort to identify close contacts.

2. Determine the last day that the person diagnosed with COVID-19 was present at the workplace

and the day their symptoms began.

3. Identify close contacts. Close contact is defined as staying within 6 feet of the person diagnosedwith COVID-19 for more than 15 minutes OR having direct contact with their body fluids orsecretions (such as being coughed on/sneezed on, shared utensils or saliva).

a. Anyone who had close contact with the person diagnosed with COVID-19 within 48

hours before they developed symptoms or while they were having symptoms should be

excluded from work and stay at home for 14 days since the last day that the person

diagnosed with COVID-19 was at work.

b. Provide the Home Isolation & Home Quarantine Guidance to persons identified as Close

Contacts. Instructions and FAQs are available at http://schsa.org/coronavirus/press/c. All others present at the workplace but not identified as close contacts should be

advised to self- monitor for symptoms for 10 days after the last day that the person

diagnosed with COVID-19 was at work and to stay home and contact a health care

provider if they develop symptoms.

o Provide the general information related to exposure to those not identified as Close

Contacts as well.

4. Undertake cleaning and disinfection measures. See CDC guidance on cleaning and disinfection

measures, including measures for cleaning and disinfection if someone is sick.

o Actively message all individuals to take preventative measures (hand washing,avoiding contact with eyes/nose/mouth, covering coughs and sneezes).

o Provide tissues, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes that can be easily accessedthroughout the facility.

o Structure the work environment to follow social distancing guidelines.o Encourage telecommuting as much as possible based on business functions.o Those who remain in the workplace should keep at least a 6-foot distance from

other individuals

Additional Information:

Visit http://schsa.org/coronavirus/press/ for current Public Health Order related to Isolation

and Quarantine

I. What to do if an Employee tests positive for COVID-19?

STRIVING TO BE THE BEST COUNTY IN AMERICA

July 20, 2020

Re: Clearance to return to work after COVID-19 – Updated CDC Guidance

HEALTH SERVICES AGENCY

Public Health Services 820 Scenic Drive, Modesto, CA 95350-6194

Julie Vaishampayan, MD, MPH Public Health Officer

Phone: 209.558.8804 Fax: 209.558.7286 www.hsahealth.org

Stanislaus County is seeing widespread community transmission of COVID-19. With this increase in illness in Stanislaus County, in California, and in many States, testing for COVID-19 is more in demand and is becoming more limited. Testing must be prioritized for those with illness where interventions can stop spread.

Testing for clearance to return to work is not indicated at this time except in certain situations. The reasons for not requiring two tests to clear for return to work are:

1. Limited testing currently available and must be reserved for diagnosis, not clearance.

2. The test currently performed detects viral genetic material, not live virus. This test can remain positivelong after live virus is gone.

3. There are good data that a person in no longer able to spread the virus that causes COVID-19 10 daysafter onset of symptoms.

A person is cleared to return to work ten (10) days after symptom onset (ten (10) days after test date if the person never had symptoms) and at least one (1) day after recovery. Recovery is defined as fever is gone without using any fever-reducing medications such as Tylenol, and other symptoms of COVID are improving.

An exception to this is people who are severely immunocompromised and those who have been severely ill with COVID-19. Both groups of people can take longer than 10 days to become non-infectious. People who are severely immunocompromised and those who have been severely ill with COVID-19 are cleared to return to work twenty (20) days after symptom onset (twenty (20) days after test date if the person never had symptoms) and at least one (1) day after recovery. Recovery is defined as fever is gone without using any fever-reducing medications such as Tylenol, and other symptoms of COVID are improving.

Examples of severely immunocompromised include being on chemotherapy for cancer, untreated HIV infection with CD4 T lymphocyte count < 200, combined primary immunodeficiency disorder, and receipt of prednisone >20mg/day for more than 14 days.

Please ensure your policies do not require two negative tests prior to return to work. For more information, please see Guidance from the California Department of Public Health for Employers Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Workplace-Outbreak- Employer-Guidance.aspx

If you have any questions on clearance to return to work, please call 209-558-5678.

Julie Vaishampayan, MD, MPH Public Health Officer Stanislaus County

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II. Flowchart

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1. Does an employee have to tell me if they have tested positive for COVID-19?

• An employee does not have to disclose their protected health information. It is up to an

employee who tests positive whether they want to share that information with their

employer or coworkers.

• Contact tracers take every precaution to determine an exposure without disclosing a

person’s name, but may need to disclose the person's name to the workplace to identify

exposed coworkers or clients. They will reach out to individuals and workplaces (when

applicable) to inform them of potential exposure and provide guidance.

2. Should I contact Public Health if an employee informs of a positive test?

• An employer should call Stanislaus County Public Health if two or more cases are reported in

their workplace. This may indicate an outbreak that requires additional follow up.

3. How should I communicate with my employees?

• Proactive communication about what to expect if someone does test positive will help avoid

rumor, stigma and anxiety. Include the following in your communication:

o Prevention measures (mask, distance, handwashing, etc.) help people stay safe.

o Reminders of any behavioral and emotional support services offered by your company.

• Public health contact tracers will contact individuals directly if they have been identified as a

close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

4. How should I prepare my business for potential exposures in future?

Please visit https://covid19.ca.gov/industry-guidance/#top for recommended guidance by

specific industries.

5. What are worker and employer rights and responsibilities under current COVID laws?

Please refer to page 18-23 of the State of California Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening.

III. Frequently Asked Questions

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Helpful Links

Industry Specific Guidance: https://covid19.ca.gov/industry-guidance/

Employer Playbook for Safe Reopening: https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/employer-playbook-for-

safe-reopening--en.pdf

GO-Biz: https://business.ca.gov/coronavirus-2019/

Occupational Safety and Health Administration: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/

Side by Side Comparison of COVID-19 Paid Leave: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/Comparison-COVID-

19-Paid-Leave.html

Safely Making California Marketplace: https://www.safelymakingca.org/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-

ncov/community/organizations/businesses-employers.html

Local Resources

Stanislaus County Health Services Agency: hschsa.org/coronavirus

Good2Go Stanislaus: https://www.good2gostanislaus.com/

Valley Sierra Small Business Development Center (SBDC): https://valleysierrasbdc.com/

IV. Resources

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These Documents are also available at http://schsa.org/coronavirus/

V. Additional Documents

Home Isolation Instructions for People with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Infection

For more information on COVID-19: Call (209) 558 7535 OR Visit http://schsa.org/publichealth/pages/corona-virus/ Adapted from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - Revised 7/20/20

The following instructions are for people who have COVID-19. It also includes information for their families or

caregivers.

Home Care

There is no specific treatment for the virus that causes COVID-19. Here are steps that you can take to help you get

better:

• Rest• Drink plenty of fluids• Take acetaminophen (Tylenol®) to reduce fever and pain.

• Note that children younger than age 2 should not be given any over-the-counter cold medications withoutfirst speaking with a doctor.

• Note that these medicines do not “cure” the illness and do not stop you from spreading germs.

Seeking Medical Care Seek prompt medical care if your symptoms get worse, especially if you are at a higher risk of serious illness. This includes people who are age 65 years and older, pregnant, or have a health problem such as a chronic disease or a weak immune system. It is recommended that you seek medical care for serious symptoms, such as:

People with life-threatening symptoms should call 911. Tell the dispatch personnel that you have COVID-19. If possible, put on a facemask before emergency medical services arrive.

If it’s not urgent, call ahead before visiting your doctor, you may be able to get advice by phone. If you do visit a healthcare facility, put on a mask before you enter to protect others from catching the infection from you.

COVID-19 may be stressful for people, visit http://www.stancounty.com/bhrs/covid.shtm to learn how to care for

your mental health and support your loved ones. If you need to speak with someone about your mental health,

contact your doctor or call (209) 558-4600 for Stanislaus County Emergency Support, available 24/7. If you speak

another language, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-888-376-6246

(TTY: 711).

Home Isolation Instructions for People with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Infection

For more information on COVID-19: Call (209) 558 7535 OR Visit http://schsa.org/coronavirus/ Adapted from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - Revised 7/20/20

PROTECTING OTHERS

Follow the steps below to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and your community.

Stay home except to get medical care

• Do not go to work, school, or public areas.• If you must leave home while you are sick, do not use public transportation. Use a personal vehicle if

possible. If you cannot drive yourself, keep as much distance as possible between you and the driver, leavethe windows down and wear a mask.

• If you do not have someone to help you, if possible, arrange for food and other necessities to be left at yourdoor. If you need to meet someone at your door, wear a mask.

• Stay home until at least 10 days have passed after your symptoms first appeared AND at least 1 day after

you have recovered. Recovery means that your fever is gone for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing

medications and your symptoms have improved.

Separate yourself from other people in your home • Stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home as much as possible. It is particularly

important to stay away from people who are at higher risk of serious illness. Consider alternate livingarrangements for them if at all possible.

• Use a separate bathroom. It this is not possible, clean the bathroom after use (see below)• Stay at least 6 feet from others.

• Open windows or use a fan or an air conditioner in shared spaces in the home, if possible, to ensure goodairflow.

• Do not allow visitors and limit the number of people in your home.• Do not handle pets or other animals while you are sick.• Do not prepare or serve food to others.

• Do not care for children if possible.

Wear a facemask when you are around others You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a hospital or doctor’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with you should not be in the same room with you. If they must enter your room, they should wear a facemask. After leaving your room, they should immediately wash their hands, remove and dispose of their facemask, and then wash their hands again.

Cover your coughs and sneezes

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a lined trash can; immediately wash your hands.

Avoid sharing personal household items

Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. Wash them thoroughly with soap and water after use.

Home Isolation Instructions for People with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Infection

For more information on COVID-19: Call (209) 558 7535 OR Visit http://schsa.org/coronavirus/ Adapted from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - Revised 7/20/20

Clean your hands often

Wash your hands often and thoroughly, especially after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; going to the bathroom; and before eating or preparing food. Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

Clean and disinfect all “high-touch” surfaces every day

High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards,

tablets, and bedside tables. Also, clean and disinfect any surfaces that may have body fluids on them. Use

household cleaning and disinfectant sprays or wipes, according to the product label instructions. See cleaning

instructions in Cleaning And Disinfecting Your Home on the Public Health website.

How long do I need to isolate from others? Stay home and away from others until at least 10 days have passed after your symptoms first appeared AND at least 1 day after you have recovered. Recovery means that your fever is gone for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications and your symptoms have improved.

INFORMATION FOR YOUR CLOSE CONTACTS Quarantine Be sure to tell all of your close contacts that they need to be in quarantine for 14 days after their last contact with you. Close contacts include all household members, any intimate contacts, and all individuals who were within 6 feet of you for more than 15 minutes, starting 48 hours before your symptoms began until your isolation period ends. In addition, anyone who had contact with your body fluids and/or secretions (such as were coughed on/sneezed on, shared utensils or saliva or provided care to you without wearing protective equipment) needs to be in quarantine. They should self-quarantine even if they feel well because it can take 2– 14 days for them to show symptoms. See the Home quarantine guidance for those exposed to COVID-19 (English), (Spanish).

Precautions for close contacts

It is recommended that everyone stays at least 6 feet away from you while you are under home isolation. If this is

not possible, anyone who continues to be in close contact with you will need to extend their quarantine period to

14 days from the last time they had close contact with you.

Your caregivers and household contacts should wear a disposable facemask and gloves if they clean your room or bathroom or come into contact with your body fluids, and/or secretions (such as sweat, saliva, sputum, nasal mucus, vomit, urine, or diarrhea). They should remove and dispose of their gloves first, clean their hands, then remove and dispose of their facemask, and clean their hands again.

What should I do if I have additional questions?

Visit the Public Health website for more information about coronavirus. Please call your health care provider for

any questions related to your health.

HOME QUARANTINE GUIDANCE FOR CLOSE CONTACTS TO CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)

For more information on COVID-19: Call (209) 558 7535 OR Visit http://schsa.org/coronavirus/Adapted from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - Revised 7/20/20

Why am I being asked to self-quarantine? You have been in close contact with someone who has Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and even though you feel well now, it is possible that you are also infected. It can take 2 – 14 days to show symptoms, so we may not know for up to 14 days if you are infected or not. You have been asked to self-quarantine in case you are infected so that you don’t pass on the infection to anyone else. It may turn out that you are not infected but it is too soon to tell.

How long do I need to self-quarantine? Your last day of quarantine is 14 days from when you were last in contact with the person with COVID-19. If

you continue to live with and/or care for the person with COVID-19, the quarantine guidance is asfollows:

• Your quarantine will end 14 days after the household started to follow the Home Isolation Instructions(English), (Spanish) (14 days after your last exposure).

• If there is close contact with a person with COVID-19 (being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes ortouching body fluids or secretions without using the appropriate precautions) the 14-day quarantine periodwill have to restart. Body fluids or secretions include sweat, saliva, sputum, nasal mucus, vomit, urine, ordiarrhea.

• If you are unable to avoid close contact, you should stay in quarantine for 14 days after the person withCOVID-19 was told they were “cleared” to stop their own isolation. This is likely to be at least 21 days.

What are the restrictions? You must restrict activities and limit all movements that may put you in contact with others during the quarantine period.

• Stay home. Do not go to work, school, or public areas.

• Do not allow visitors and limit the number of people in your home.

• Separate yourself from others in your home.

o Stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home as much as possible. It is veryimportant to stay away from people who are at higher risk of serious illness. This includes people whoare age 65 years and older, pregnant or have a health problem such as a chronic disease or a weakimmune system.

o Use a separate bathroom, if available.o Try to stay at least 6 feet away from others.o Do not handle pets or other animals.o Do not prepare or serve food to others.o Avoid caring for children if possible.

Can I leave my residence during quarantine?

• You may not leave your place of quarantine or enter another public or private place except to getnecessary medical care

• If you do not have someone to help you, you can arrange for food and other necessities to be left atyour door. If you need help finding food or other necessities, please call 2-1-1.

• You can go on a private balcony or private yard if you can stay at least 6 feet away from others.

This guidance is for people who were in close contact with someone with Coronavirus Disease 2019. If you are a health care worker or first responder, please refer to guidance from your employer.

HOME QUARANTINE GUIDANCE FOR CLOSE CONTACTS TO CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)

For more information on COVID-19: Call (209) 558 7535 OR Visit hhttp://schsa.org/coronavirus/Adapted from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health - Revised 7/20/20

What if I need to seek medical care?

Call 9-1-1 if you have a medical emergency. For other medical issues, if possible, call your doctor first to get advice by phone or telemedicine and tell them that you are a contact to someone with COVID-19. If you do go out for medical care and are having symptoms or signs of COVID-19, you should wear a mask, if available. Use a private vehicle if possible. If you cannot drive yourself, be sure to keep as much distance as possible between you and the driver and leave windows down. You should not use public transport.

Will Public Health notify my workplace or school?

Public Health will not notify or release any personal information about you to your workplace or school unless it is necessary to do so to protect your health or the health of others.

How should I monitor my health during this period? Monitor your health for signs and symptoms of COVID-19: • Fever.• Cough.• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.• Other early symptoms to watch for are chills, body aches, sore throat, loss of smell and taste, headache,

diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, and runny nose.

What if I develop symptoms? If you develop any of the signs or symptoms above, you may have COVID-19. Most people with COVID-19 will have mild illness and can get better with the proper home care and without the need to see a provider. However, if you are 65 years and older, pregnant, or have a health problem such as a chronic disease or a weak immune system, you should let your doctor know about your symptoms. You may be at higher risk of more serious illness so you should monitor your symptoms closely and seek medical care early if they get worse.

You can get tested for COVID-19 to confirm whether you have been infected. You do need to remain home for at least 10 days from the onset of symptoms and 1 day after your fever is completely gone and your symptoms are better.

Call your provider if you have concerns or questions about the need for testing. You should continue to isolate yourself. If symptoms worsen or continue and you need to seek medical care, call your healthcare provider in advance, or 9-1-1 in an emergency, and let them know you are a close contact to a person with confirmed COVID-19.

What should I do if I have additional questions?

Please call your health care provider for any questions related to your health.

Name of Positive Employee: Date Employee Last Worked:

Last Name First Name DOBPhone Number (xxx-xxx-xxxx)

County of ResidenceCurrent work section/

departmentSymptoms

(Y/N)Last Day Worked

Tested for COVID?

(Y/N)

*Please fill out as completely as possible, but do not delay returning this list waiting for it to be full. You can send us updates as you get more information.

*Exposure is defined as being in close contact (less than 6 feet) for at least 15 minutes while either or both people are not wearing mask/face covering.